Taiwan wants US weapons despite warmer China ties

A Dutch-built submarine of Taiwan navy is maintained in a naval shipyard at Tsoying, the major naval base in southern part of the island, September 6, 2005

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A senior Taiwanese official has renewed a call for the United States to sell the island submarines and advanced fighters to bolster defences against China, local media reported Tuesday.

The call came despite a marked improvement in relations since Ma Ying-jeou of the China-friendly Kuomintang came to power in 2008. Ma was re-elected in January 2012.

Despite warming ties, Beijing still refuses to rule out the use of force to reunify with Taiwan and has been strengthening its own forces.

"The Chinese mainland's military might keeps growing at a fast pace in the past few years, posing a grave threat to Taiwan," deputy defence minister Yen Teh-fa told reporters on the sidelines of the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference in Annapolis, Maryland from September 29-Oct 1.